Regents Board Votes to Close Pinnacle Charter School | News

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BUFFALO, NY - Despite efforts by parents, students and staffers to keep the school open, the New York State Board of Regents accepted a committee report Tuesday to close the Pinnacle Charter School in Buffalo at the end of the current year.

Pinnacle Charter on Ash Street has 540 students in grades K through 8. Among the reasons cited for the shutdown are lower test scores in reading, math, and English in previous years. At Tuesday's meeting, a statement by Robert Bennett, WNY native and Regents Chancellor Emeritus, was read opposing the action.

At a meeting Saturday, parents and key supporters spoke of the efforts to turn around the school and what they say are unfair assessments.

William Preston of the Pinnacle School Family Council said, "The unfair part is that we have children, whose parents bring their children here to the school late in elementary, maybe sixth, seventh grade and they're behind in other schools and they have to catch up here which kind of weighs down the testing, which I feel is unfair."